Kaito`s start in ONE Championship is proving difficult.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong openly expressed his disappointment regarding Kaito Ono`s decision to decline the scheduled fight against Marat Grigorian during the post-event press conference.
The fight was canceled after Grigorian, the Armenian-Belgian fighter, missed the weight limit. Although he was hydrated when tested later, he was still 0.75 lbs over the 155 lbs contracted weight.
“When a fighter wants to fight, they will fight. When a fighter is afraid of his opponent, he will find a reason not to fight. On this card, Kaito was the biggest underdog against Grigorian, so I`m not surprised he chose the easy way out. He had the chance to fight but declined… If the weight difference was very large, I would understand, but it was literally less than half a pound. As I said, when a fighter wants to fight, they will fight. When a fighter is scared, they find every reason not to fight. I`ve been in this sport a long time; I`ve seen this happen repeatedly.”
Chatri also stated that while Ono received his full pay for the canceled bout, Chatri felt it wasn`t deserved. He further remarked, “I think Kaito should fight in smaller promotions,” highlighting his significant disappointment.
Regardless of perspective, this situation casts doubt on Kaito`s future within ONE Championship. The Shoot Boxing champion has remained active in Japan and has voiced his ambition for a rematch against Tyjani Beztati – a challenging prospect, especially considering GLORY`s move last year to discontinue its lightweight division in favor of tournaments at other weights.
A win under the ONE banner could have significantly boosted his standing, potentially placing him among the top contenders in the division, which is a stated goal of his.
Gareth Tenby